On Monday, January 7, 2013, the federal district court in Minnesota entered judgment in favor of Greene Espel client American Family Mutual Insurance Company dismissing all patent-infringement claims asserted against it by a plaintiff called Reshare Commerce, LLC. Reshare had sued American Family and many other companies for infringement of U.S. Patent No. 6,594,641, which describes a way for a product supplier to do retail business over the Internet while maintaining good relations with bricks-and-mortar retailers.

Greene Espel’s Bob Gilbertson was chosen by the defense group to present the defendants’ oral argument on claim construction, and later the Court issued a claim-construction order adopting the defendants’ view of key patent claim terms. Under the order, it was clear that American Family and other insurance-company defendants did not infringe the patent, and Reshare stipulated to the Court’s judgment of non-infringement. Reshare is appealing the decision.